[Dave Murray] How to Recreate the Iron Maiden Sound + Guitar Gear and Tone Settings [Effects & Amps]

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Introduction (Overview of Tone)

Dave Murray, the iconic guitarist of Iron Maiden, is renowned for his fluid legato and melodic single-note phrases. His playing style is characterized by smoothness and a strong sense of melody, even during fast passages, ensuring that the melodic structure remains at the forefront.

In classic tracks such as “The Trooper,” “Aces High,” and “Fear of the Dark,” listeners can appreciate his unique sound, which balances powerful riffs with smooth solos. Notably, his use of a Fender Stratocaster equipped with Seymour Duncan Hot Rails pickups delivers a thick, sustained tone, while the characteristic mid-range punch of Marshall amplifiers solidifies his distinct presence in the metal scene.

Moreover, his sound remains consistent between live performances and studio recordings, always maintaining a tone that highlights the melody.

Dave Murray’s sound transcends the typical metal guitar tone, representing an ideal for many guitarists who strive for a “singing guitar” quality. In this article, we will thoroughly explore the amplifiers, guitars, and effects he has used, providing clear explanations on how to recreate his sound.

▶ Search official YouTube videos of Iron Maiden

List of Amplifiers and Features

The backbone of Dave Murray’s sound is undoubtedly the Marshall amplifier. The thick twin-guitar sound of Iron Maiden is completed by the unique mid-range push of his Marshalls. Particularly since the 1990s, he has utilized rack systems to create a stable live sound.

The staples include the “Marshall JCM2000 Head” and “JVM Head,” both of which excel in switching between high gain and clean tones. In his rack system, the “Marshall JMP-1 Preamp” serves as the core, combined with the “Marshall JFX-1,” “Marshall 9200 Dual MonoBlock Power Amp,” and “Marshall EL-34 100/100 Power Amp,” ensuring a consistent tone in both live and studio settings.

Additionally, he uses cabinets like the “Marshall 1960B” and “Marshall 4×12 Cabinet,” enhancing his stage presence.

This setup allows him to achieve both “sustained solos” and “powerful riffs.” It is assumed that during live performances, he particularly leverages the rack system to enhance both reproducibility and stability.

Types of Guitars Used and Features

Dave Murray is primarily known for using Fender Stratocasters. His signature model, the “Fender Dave Murray Stratocaster,” features three Seymour Duncan Hot Rails pickups and a Floyd Rose bridge, providing a powerful and stable metal sound that traditional Stratocasters lack. This setup supports his signature fluid legato phrases and vibrato effectively.

In his early years, he favored modified guitars based on the “Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster.” One notable guitar, with a striking black body, was a custom piece combining a 1963 body with a 1957 neck, further modified with DiMarzio humbuckers and Mighty Mite bridges. This resulted in a sound that balanced the Strat’s clarity with the thickness of humbuckers.

Additionally, he has occasionally used a “Gibson Les Paul Standard” for its heavier tone in specific live and recording situations. In the 1990s, he also experimented with Strat-style guitars from Jackson and ESP, indicating his exploration beyond Fender.

Overall, Dave’s choice of guitars is centered around maximizing the potential of “singing melodies.” His signature Stratocaster represents the culmination of this philosophy. Even today, he predominantly uses Stratocasters, reflecting a style focused on stability and sustain during live performances.

Effects and Pedalboard Setup

Dave Murray’s pedalboard is structured to enhance the fundamental tones created by his amp and pickups, focusing on modulation and wah effects rather than excessive distortion.

Notably, the “Fulltone Mini Dejavibe” provides a swirling Uni-Vibe effect, while the “Fulltone Clyde Standard Wah” and “Dunlop DCR-1SR Rack CryBaby Wah” add a singing vibrato-like wah work. These effects contribute depth to his legato-driven phrases.

Spatial processing is centralized in the rack-mounted “TC Electronic G-Force,” which manages delay, reverb, and modulation quality.

The core of his setup is a dedicated routing system by Pete Cornish, paired with the Rocktron All-Access and MIDI Mate for stable preset switching. This design philosophy emphasizes reproducibility and noise resistance in live settings, ensuring a “clean” signal path that preserves the characteristics of the JMP-1 preamp and EL34 stereo power amp.

For phasing, the “MXR M-101 Phase 90” is used strategically, enhancing the solo’s clarity while maintaining mid-range punch, ensuring it doesn’t get lost in Maiden’s fast-paced beats.

Utility tools include the “Boss TU-12H” and “Peterson Auto Strobe 490” precise tuners, along with the “Shure U4D” wireless system for freedom on stage. All these components are designed to minimize signal degradation, maximizing the high output and sustain of the Hot Rails pickups.

In summary, Murray’s board is not about coloring the sound with effects but rather about bringing the core tone to the forefront with robust control. While there have been functional updates from the rack-centric era to current tours, the underlying philosophy remains consistent.

Tone Settings, EQ, and Mixing Approaches

Dave Murray’s sound crafting is characterized by an EQ balance that prioritizes a “singing lead tone,” built upon Marshall amplifiers.

He typically boosts the mid-range significantly, adjusts the low end to avoid excessive boominess, and rounds off the high end to maintain attack without harshness. This setup ensures that even during fast playing or legato, the melody remains prominent.

The frequently used “Marshall JMP-1 Preamp” allows him to switch between CH1 (clean) and CH2 (OD1/OD2) depending on the song, with OD1 particularly excelling in Maiden’s characteristic galloping riffs. The combination of sharp mid-range and thick sustain from the Hot Rails pickups ensures presence in both solos and rhythm sections.

For EQ settings, it is assumed that he often sets bass around “4.5,” mids at “6.5,” treble at “5,” and presence at “6.” This configuration provides a strong attack during rhythm parts while ensuring a smooth, singing quality during solos. In live PA situations, it is common to see a slight cut in the mid-range to balance the overall mix, with the engineer ensuring that Murray’s guitar has a fuller tone compared to Adrian Smith’s sharper sound.

Murray’s use of spatial effects is also distinctive; during solos, he lightly applies delay from the “TC Electronic G-Force” at 250-400ms, adding a subtle echo without overwhelming the sound. For rhythm parts, reverb is kept minimal to maintain clarity and speed.

The phaser (MXR Phase 90) is used sparingly during climactic moments of solos, contributing to a sense of spatial expansion.

Additionally, during mixing, double-tracking of guitars is meticulously executed, with one side EQ’d slightly lower and the other higher to achieve balance. Murray’s parts are processed to retain a “sweet mid-range,” aiming for a sound that feels as if the melody is “singing” to the listener.

In summary, Murray’s settings can be distilled into three key elements: “mid-range-focused EQ,” “thick and smooth tone from Hot Rails and Marshall,” and “balanced spatial processing.” Together, these elements ensure that even amidst the fast-paced nature of metal, his unique singing guitar tone is firmly established.

Affordable Alternatives to Recreate the Tone

Dave Murray’s sound is built around the combination of a Fender Stratocaster, Seymour Duncan Hot Rails, and Marshall amplifiers. However, acquiring all this gear can be expensive, so it’s essential to find more affordable alternatives that can still recreate the “singing, melodic tone” he is known for.

Here, we will introduce options that can be acquired for around $100 to $500, focusing on versatile effects and entry to mid-level guitars and amplifiers.

Key points to consider include:

① High-output single-sized humbuckers (guitars equipped with Hot Rails or modifiable Strats)

② Marshall-style high-gain amps or simulators

③ Simple spatial effects (delay and phaser)

By combining these elements, you can experience Dave’s unique “thick legato sound.”

By combining these pieces of gear, you can approximate Dave Murray’s unique “thick Strat tone” without needing a professional rack setup. Especially, a Strat equipped with Hot Rails and a Marshall-style amp (or the BOSS GT-1 modeling) provides a high level of fidelity, making it a great recommendation for beginners to intermediates.

Summary and Conclusion

The essence of Dave Murray’s sound lies in simultaneously achieving a “singing lead tone” and “thick rhythm.” By equipping a Fender Stratocaster with Seymour Duncan Hot Rails and ensuring stability with a Floyd Rose, he connects directly to Marshall amplifiers, creating a simple yet highly refined tone.

His design philosophy maximizes the power of the fundamental tone without relying on excessive effects, which is a testament to his sound crafting principles.

Moreover, the implementation of a rack system, combining the JMP-1 preamp with the EL34 power amp, has been essential for providing stable sound during world tours. Additionally, the minimal incorporation of spatial and modulation effects like the TC Electronic G-Force and MXR Phase 90 showcases a balance that is difficult for other guitarists to replicate.

In conclusion, to recreate his sound, it is crucial to focus on “high-output Strat,” “Marshall-style amp,” and “simple spatial effects.” Beginners can achieve a similar tone with multi-effects like the BOSS GT-1, while intermediates can aim for a more authentic recreation with a Hot Rails-equipped Strat and Marshall combo.

The core of Dave Murray’s sound is “guitar tones that retain their melodic essence.” Even during fast playing, his tone remains melodic, ensuring it does not get lost amidst rapid riffs, making it an ideal for many guitarists.

We encourage readers to explore the gear and settings discussed here to pursue their own version of the “Murray-style melodic metal sound.”